Mr Grinch- Karkat x Neko Reader
by introspectiveSeeker
Summary: Around Christmas time, Karkat always reminds me of the Grinch. This year, I hope it'll be different! I mean, I have cat ears now, so that's one thing different already. I'm sure this Christmas will be special!


Notes:

[f/n]= first name

Neko means cat in Japanese. So you, reader, are half-cat in this fic.

In this fic, you have a fireplace~

**Merry Christmas!**

"Hey, Grumpy Nubs!" I call Karkat as I try to reach that one spot on the Christmas tree that is just barely out of my reach. "Come here, I need your help!" After spending a couple years together, I'm surprised to find that Karkat has grown to be pretty tall. He was so short when we were younger, I had never thought he would hit that growth spurt!

"Fucking preoccupied here!" he yells back frustratingly. A tangled mess of Christmas lights rest on his lap, his fingers fumbling through them in an attempt to get them untangled.

Seeing as how frustrated he is, I walk over and sit next to him. "Here, I'll do the lights, you can go put ornaments on the tree where I can't reach," I tell him as I take the lights off of his lap. Being the grumpy troll he is, it's hard to get Karkat in the Christmas spirit, so I'm lucky he's helping at all.

"Thank Gog, I was about to strangle myself with those lights just so I wouldn't have to waste my time with them anymore," he grumbles as he stomps towards the tree.

I roll my eyes, but a fond smile graces my lips. As I look at the lights, trying to figure out how I'll start untangling, I feel my cat ears flick thoughtfully. It took me a long time to get used to my cat ears after fusing with my sprite, which was composed of a cat and my dead dream self. But now they feel natural.

After finally figuring out how to start, my hands set to work on pulling and arranging the lights.

"Karkat?" I call helplessly.

"What?" he replies, hidden behind the tree.

"I'm stuck," I inform him.

"What?" he says as he appears from behind the tree. He takes one look at me before he eyes me in exaggeration. "Seriously?"

On the floor, I'm completely and utterly tangled withthe lights. I don't know what happened; one moment I was thinking how the lights remind me of yarn, and the next I'm overcome with the need to roll around in them. "Can you help me?" I ask helplessly.

"How in the raging flames of human hell did you manage this?" he mumbles as he tries to pull the lights off of me.

"Kya!" I squeal when his hand prods the bare skin beneath my ribcage, my shirt having ridden up. It happens to be a ticklish spot for me. "Karkat!" Karkat smirks at me, sending chills down my spine. "Don't you dare!"

But to my alarm, he did dare. Both his hands fly to my sides, his fingers prodding at my skin. Erupt laughter prevents me from being able to say stop. Squirming to escape his fingers, my legs kick out, accidentally hitting Karkat's legs in the process. His legs fly out from beneath him, causing him to collapse on top of me. Even though the tickling stopped, I still can't catch my breath, not with Karkat's face looming so close to mine.

I watch as his gaze flickers to my lips, causing my heart to skip a beat. "Careful," I breath out. "Or you'll get tangled too." His face flushes a bright red before he scrambles off of me.

"My head's not stuffed with sopor slime like yours is, of course I wouldn't make the same mistake!" he snaps as he resumes loosening the lights around me. But I've become hypersensitive to the sensation of his fingers grazing my skin. Blushing, and unable to look him in the eyes, I focus my gaze on a wall as he works on the lights.

Eventually, I'm free. "Thank you!" I say gratefully as I stand up, relishing in the freedom of movement.

"Now that you're off your fucking ass, help me with this painful pine bush," he orders as he returns to the tree.

"It's a Christmas tree, Mr. Grinch" I correct him as I grab an ornament and place it on the tree.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I breath out, my eyes shining in wonderment as I take in the glimmering lights. The tree sparkles in merriment, the colors of the glass bulbs shining like vibrant beacons.

"Yeah, it's good enough," Karkat gruffly replies, but from the soft expression on his face, I can tell he finds the tree beautiful too.

However, the longer I stare at the tree, the more I start to feel an urge to do something. My eyes travel up the tree, and suddenly, I need to be up there, too. "[f/n]?" Karkat calls, but his words fall on deaf ears. I feel my feet start to rapidly move as I charge at the pine. "[f/n]!"

With a leap, I toss myself at the tree. My body collides with the pine, toppling it with my weight. Together with the tree, we crash to the ground, the sounds of shattering glass surrounding me. When the last bulb breaks, silence following its death, it feels like I've been snapped out of a daze. "Karkat?" I say questioningly. What have I done?

When I glance at him, I feel my stomach drop. His body trembles with barely concealed rage, his face contorted in fury. "Why on this mediocre planet did you do that?" he roars.

"I-I'm so sorry," I say quietly, horrified by what I've done. "Don't worry, I'll put it all back together!"

"Don't bother!" he spits out, causing me to flinch. "This damn scheme of a holiday is worthless, anyways! It's only an excuse for humans to waste away their money on meaningless presents that will eventually be tossed aside, and to greedily expect presents in return. I don't need some stupid tree with its superficial lights! I don't need Christmas!"

"Don't say that!" I cry, my eyes stinging with tears. But Karkat doesn't respond, and instead turns away from me. I hear his stomping feet moving farther and farther away from me. "You-you're such a _Grinch_!" I shout after him, but he's already gone. There is only me and the mess I've created.

A teardrop slides down my cheek, mixing with the shards of glass scattered about. I've really screwed up this time. I take in the pitiful sight of the tree strewn across the ground, its glory slayed by my cat like nature. My heart squeezes painfully, and I'm no longer able to bear the sight any longer. Without even putting a coat on, I numbly walk outside. Snow gently flutters from the sky, a sight that would normally childishly astonish me, but in my misery, I hardly notice it. I plop to the ground and bury my face in my hands. I wanted very badly to make this Christmas special for Karkat, but I royally screwed it up. It's my fault Christmas was ruined for him.

Within all this silence, I even miss Karkat's yelling. My body trembles as the cold starts to nip at me more fiercely, leaving behind goosebumps with its touch. I know I should go inside, it's far too cold out here, but I don't quite feel like going back yet. How long have I been out here? I think I've been out here a long time.

Yet as I shiver, suddenly, something warm and soft wraps around my neck. My hand raises to my neck to touch the red fabric, and I realize it's a scarf. Shocked, I turn around to find Karkat staring at me apologetically. "I'm sorry," he mutters as he sits down beside me. "I acted like such a prick. I guess my mind is stuffed with sopor slime, too."

Sniffling, I blink away the blurriness. "I'm the one who's sorry," I bumble through the tears. "We worked so hard on the tree, and I go and knock it over all because of my compulsive urges. Ever since I've become half-cat, I've started to act a bit differently, like my sudden obsessive need for fish, or-or the need to climb the Christmas tree. I'm so sorry, it's so hard to control them."

Karkat's arm wraps around me, bringing me close. "You're shivering too damn much," he says with a strange loving anger. "Look, I'm not angry at you anymore, so let's go inside."

"Okay," I reply glumly. I stand up, my skin feeling like it's frozen. But when I walk into the homey warmth of my home, my eyes widen in astonishment. The tree is no longer sprawled across the ground, and instead it stands up tall and proud. The ornaments that hadn't been broken by the impact have been clumsily placed on the tree; even the lights have been messily wrapped around the pine. In my fireplace, a welcoming fire greets me. "Karkat?"

"I was wrong about Christmas," he tells me as leads me to the couch. "I was just angry. After meeting you, well, I like spending Christmas with you. I know I'm a total jackass sometimes, and I'm really undeserving, but all I want for Christmas is to spend it with you, cat ears and all. Even though I'm a cannibalistic piece of shit who eats his own shit, will you grant my Christmas wish?"

Karkat watches me with pleading eyes, looking as if he's about to be rejected. A wide smile spreads across my face as I reply, "Of course, I would _love _to spend Christmas with you! I've been trying hard these past years to get you to enjoy Christmas so you'd _want _to celebrate it with me."

"Well, somehow with your dimwitted lovableness, you've managed that," he says with an amused sigh.

"You think I'm lovable?" I tease as I lightly elbow him.

He blushes at my words and abruptly turns away from me. He heads to the T.V. as he tells me, "I've brought one of those human Christmas movies to watch."

"Which one?" I ask I settle comfortably onto my sofa. Karkat mumbles under his breath, making it impossible for me to hear him. "What?"

"The Grinch," he grumbles.

"No way!" I laugh as the irony of it all sinks in. After putting the movie in, Karkat settles beside me, and I can't help but notice how our knees bump together. I grab a blanket I keep on the sofa's headrest and wrap it around the both of us. "Let's start the movie!"

But by the time we're half way through the movie, the warm fire has lulled me into a dreamy sleepiness. Too tired to care about the consequences, my head droops against Karkat's shoulder. "[f/n]?" he whispers softly.

"Hm?" I hum sleepily as my eyes droop shut.

"I love you," he replies.

My eyes fly open in surprise, but before I can say anything, Karkat's lips press softly against mine. He pulls away and stares intently at the T.V. as if it never happened, leaving me breathless.

I feel a purr rumble in my throat as I tell him, "I love you, too." He stares back at me in surprise, and I take the opportunity to lean in and peck his lips once more. "And his heart grew three sizes that day," I murmur as I find myself falling asleep on his shoulder with a warm grin on my face.

He may be the Grinch, but I can't have a Christmas without him.

**The End**


End file.
